History

TOA Pacific works in line with the New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy and the New Zealand Disability Strategy to improve opportunities for Treasured Older Adults and aiga carers to participate in the community in a way that they choose.

TOA Pacific empowers Pacific Older People to be independent, to participate and therefore contribute to the community. It is our mission to inform our older people of their rights and the importance of maintaining their health, wellbeing and independence. Therefore, in general they will be able to live a life of self-fulfillment and dignity. By doing this TOA Pacific caters for their needs, whether they have a disability or not, as well as the needs of their families and indeed their Carers.

TOA Pacific is a member of Carers Alliance New Zealand and has the support of Carers NZ. TOA Pacific has also had a voice at the Alliance Executive Committee that had active contribution to the development of the Carers Strategy launched in April 2008. Serving the needs of Pacific Aiga Carers (PAC) nationwide is a key vision of the organisation through engaging and enlisting the support of non profit organisations.

TOA Pacific’s commitment to assuring older Pacific people experience peace and pampering with its Elder abuse and neglect prevention contract 2000, has prepared the organization for its commitment to work with families towards being strong, vibrant and nurturing.

The organisation uses its Strengths based practice and RBA tools to support families where there is violence to work towards valuing each other with respect and understanding.

Our Vision

“All Treasured Older Adults, Aiga Carers, and Pacific families in New Zealand are Safe, have enhanced Wellbeing, are valued and their Rights are actively promoted and upheld.”

Our Mission

“It is our Mission to provide Leadership that reflects the needs and aspirations of our clients; realising the Vision through effective provision of sustainable, responsive and culturally safe services.”

Organisation Structure

“In April 2002 TOA Pacific registered as an Independent Incorporated Society although it had been a Charitable Organistion since 1995.”

The Governance Board is nominated and voted in at the Annual General Meeting held in June of each year.The Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and Treasurer are selected at their first Board meeting.

Objectives

It is the organisation’s objective to provide sustainable, responsive and culturally safe services for Treasured Older Adults (TOA), Pacific Aiga Carers (PAC) and families. TOA Pacific is committed to initiating and delivering positive outcomes for them, as we value their cultural talents, expertise, wisdom, skills and knowledge.

Intentional Outcomes

TOA Pacific will be dedicated to the ongoing development and implementation of the following in the next 5 years:

Building Capacity and capability within TOA Pacific in response to an aging population

Clear process maps for all service delivery,

Operational plan – reviewed quarterly, in line with individual staff work plan review.

Continued accreditation under Child and Family Support Services and Community Services under s396(3) and x403(1) of the CYF Act 1989

Training and development..

Our work within our pacific communities will support:

Empowering our Pacific Older People to lead vibrant lives of prolonged independence.

Empowering families to take leadership and demonstrate valuing each member of the family with respect; and loving attention to their achievements and issues.

Working alongside Pacific Older people and Aiga Carers nationwide to ensure that their needs are met, guaranteeing better care for loved ones who are in need of fulltime care.

Offering service provider workshops based around pacific culture, dance and music, to support better cultural frameworks within mainstream service provision.

We will achieve our outcomes through:

Developing a Learning Centre that will enable older Pacific people to stay connected with their families and friends. Offer an opportunity for elders to capture genealogy for younger generation empower Pacific Older People to teach each other or pass on their legacy to their pacific families, the younger generation;

knowledge

skills

wisdom

values

language

heritage

custom and tradition

identity

Cultural sensitivity Awareness when responding to the needs of our Pacific Older People and Pacific Aiga Carers by teaching key information and knowledge that enables productive interaction

Provision of a service that caters for each Pacific ethnicity in terms of:

language

culture – custom and tradition

family environment

identity

Collaboration with other service providers to build collective impact in the sector, rise to the challenge of an aging population, resolve issues and build Pacific families

Communication

TOA Pacific acknowledges that there are forms of disseminating information in the mainstream that will not be as effective as alternative modes that acknowledge each Pacific ethnicity, language and custom.

We will therefore be:

Encouraging our Pacific Older people to involve themselves in community activities hence contribute to the local community and therefore society. Involving our groups in local initiatives such as the Tiling project at the Library

Support the community to engage in Auckland Council Long Term Community Plan facilitated sessions,

Inviting local services to give a talk such as the Police, MOH Gout Advisors,

Informing and educating our Pacific Older People in the following:

the Rights of Older people

the services available to Older people through local agencies, service providers, and by the local and central government agencies

Support the needs of Families of TOAPAC with Whanau best outcomes intended

Work in partnership with service providers, agencies, churches, Older Peoples groups and the local and central government to provide better service for our Pacific families, Older People and all Aiga Carers that will contribute towards enhanced health and wellbeing.